UA researchers receive grant for Hispanic women's health study

Chayse Vance was a young lady with an eye for art and a heart of gold, according to her family. She hung herself after a stay at the Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital, which has a shocking number of violations. (Source: Vance Family)

Chayse Vance was a young lady with an eye for art and a heart of gold, according to her family. She hung herself after a stay at the Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital, which has a shocking number of violations. (Source: Vance Family)

One Tucson hospital stands out in Arizona for its violations. Our investigative team logged and analyzed piles of data from the state department of health services to find out who's to blame and what's being done.

One Tucson hospital stands out in Arizona for its violations. Our investigative team logged and analyzed piles of data from the state department of health services to find out who's to blame and what's being done.

Borderland Construction in Tucson says it needs 100 workers today to fill its needs but can't find them. Despite a starting salary of $15 an hour and the potential to earn $30 an hour by driving heavy machinery, the jobs to unfilled.

Borderland Construction in Tucson says it needs 100 workers today to fill its needs but can't find them. Despite a starting salary of $15 an hour and the potential to earn $30 an hour by driving heavy machinery, the jobs to unfilled.

A group of rescued Pomeranian dogs recuperate in a kennel Authorities rescued over 150 Pomeranian dogs in Nevada on Nov. 30, 2017 (FOX5).

A woman was arrested for abandoning Pomeranians with no food nor water, according to Clark County jail records.

A woman was arrested for abandoning Pomeranians with no food nor water, according to Clark County jail records.

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -

Knowledge is power. The power to stay well.

The University
of Arizona is conducting a huge new health care education effort.

UA College of Public Health researchers have just received a major federal grant to help
Hispanic women learn more about their health care options.

Prevention is
considered the key to fighting disease, but what if that, and other important
health information, is not getting to the people who need it?

When you have
a whole population of people who historically do not get the health checkups
they might need, it's obvious there's some sort of disconnect.

This new study
is looking to fix that problem and, in the process, save lives.

UA College of
Public Health Dr. Allison Hopkins is heading up the study.

"Hispanic
women are two times more likely to die from cervical cancer than non-Hispanic
white women," Hopkins says. "There is no reason why anyone should be
dying from it. And especially have such a large gap between different ethic
groups. It's just not acceptable."

Hopkins and her
team have won an $878,000 federal grant to find better ways to reach Hispanic
women who historically have limited access to health information.

And there are
plenty of questions and concerns out there, as we found.

"People need to take care of
themselves. Maybe there's something they don't know that they need to look
at," says Tucsonan Margie Trujillo-Farmer.

Sally Mungia
says, "I believe that most women are just scared of what they're going
to hear. That's the thing and most
people are in denial,"

They're all
issues researchers will try to deal with.

Dr. Hopkins
says information has to be provided in a way that women can understand and use.

the study will
follow 3,000 Hispanic women in pima county to see if changing the way they are
provided information leads to health care screenings and treatment, if they
need it.

Dr. Hopkins
says women in the study will be given health information, in person, on
prevention and on treatment and where to get help.

Then the
researchers will check to see if the women understood and used the information.

Here's how it
will work: community
health care workers will contact each woman three times.

the first two
contacts will be in person to provide health information on three conditions,
and on how to find a clinic or where to get screened.

The third
contact is a phone call to see if the study participant was satisfied with the
service the community health care worker provided and whether the woman
followed through and got screened.

"Our ultimate goal is to increase the number of
Hispanic women in Pima County that get screened for these three conditions:
Sexually transmitted infections, cervical cancer and depression. And the idea is
that we'll be able to improve their health by having the screenings done
early," Hopkins says.

Hopkins says
this study could lead to better health outcomes in several different
areas.

Dr. Allison Hopkins, UA College of Public Health:
"If we find out that it works, then we can use this model for other
priority health issues. So, we would go back, with the community health workers
to find out what are other areas that there's a real need, where there's a real
lack of information in the community or misinformation."

Study participants must be Hispanic women, ages 30 to 65,
who live in Pima County.

To learn more or to volunteer to participate in the
study, call Dr. Hopkins in Tucson at (520) 626-8528.

Audio recently surfaced of Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Diane Douglas at a Republican candidate forum saying, "Should the theory of intelligent design be taught along with the theory of evolution? Absolutely."

Audio recently surfaced of Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Diane Douglas at a Republican candidate forum saying, "Should the theory of intelligent design be taught along with the theory of evolution? Absolutely."

Chayse Vance was a young lady with an eye for art and a heart of gold, according to her family. She hung herself after a stay at the Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital, which has a shocking number of violations. (Source: Vance Family)

Chayse Vance was a young lady with an eye for art and a heart of gold, according to her family. She hung herself after a stay at the Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital, which has a shocking number of violations. (Source: Vance Family)

One Tucson hospital stands out in Arizona for its violations. Our investigative team logged and analyzed piles of data from the state department of health services to find out who's to blame and what's being done.

One Tucson hospital stands out in Arizona for its violations. Our investigative team logged and analyzed piles of data from the state department of health services to find out who's to blame and what's being done.

The organization predicted 10 to 16 tropical systems, with five to nine becoming hurricanes. One to four of those hurricanes is predicted to develop into major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or above.

The organization predicted 10 to 16 tropical systems, with five to nine becoming hurricanes. One to four of those hurricanes is predicted to develop into major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or above.